I'm not crazy...I'm just bored!!

NICE Xtrain and downhill TM run. Anxious to find out about your goals. You are gonna rock at Ogden!

well, I left the goals open ended, because I don't know if I want to push myself or not. If I want to take the risk of failing. Maybe I'll play it cool and shoot low, then I can overachieve my goals and feel good :) I know I should aim high, but.....

You can set three goals, 1) satisfied, 2) happy and 3) ecstatic. Either way you will be successful. Heck, finishing a marathon in itself is major cause for celebration. Running the marathon is really a CELEBRATION of all your training!

Nice X-training and run. If this is your first marathon, take it pretty easy on yourself, have a good time and see how things play out.

This is my issue...its my first marathon so do I just run and see how it goes, or do I go for it? How do you decide? I feel like I'm ready, but also don't want to have to walk or have my IT act up on me...decisions, decisions...

smooth, maybe I need to do that...set three. The only problem is I'll usually just do the minimum :) stupid brain!!!

RAD,

There is no reason for you to aim low with your marathon goal. Simply find look at Sasha's race predictor on this website. The predictor is a reasonable goal. If I were you I would aim somewhere between 8:22-8:30 mm. Take it easy at first, then start pushing at about 15. Just my advice.

Bec- thats what I've thought about, running the 1st 1/2 at a specific pace then just running whatever I want/can after that. The thing is, the race predictor says I could finish 3:40-3:50 so pushing it I may be able to BQ, but I don't want to stress on my 1st marathon...BQ pace for me needs to be 8:22 sooooo.....do I aim low like 8:10's for the fist 1/2 and give myself some room the 2nd half or not worry about time at all and just run? It is downhill and running an 8:10 downhill will be holding myself back with tapering and race mentality I'd probably be able to carry the 1st 1/2 closer to a 7:30 or below comfortably. I just don't want to push my IT too fast too soon or get so close to BQing that I punish myself afterward for getting so close and not getting it....okay so much for my ramblings. This is why I'm having a hard time with the goals....aim high with the risk of miserable failure or just do it and have fun and aim low and overachieve???

I ditto Bec on the strategy. Take it easy 'till you passed the dam and into the Ogden Canyon. The race really starts at mile 18. You will do great. You have trained hard and smart.

Thanks Smooth...the more I contemplate the more confused I become....

I think I'll do the 3 goals, that way I at least come out satisfied, right?

That's the beauty of a marathon--it's always somewhat of a mystery of how it's going to turn out. I say go with the flow, enjoy yourself, don't put too much pressure on yourself to meet a time goal. There are plenty of other marathons for that. But I believe with your training, it will be a very good race and you'll be happy.

Thanks Cheryl!! From the begining I've said I don't want a time goal, because I just wanted to enjoy it...but now that I'm so close to BQing its messing up my mind!!! I know what clears my mind: I need to go for a run...

RAD,

You are awesome. If you want to BQ, I know you can do it. Relax and run the darn thing. Run the marathon, don't let the marathon run you!

dont let the marathon run me....sounds like a plan!!!!

My opinion, just go with the flow on the first one. Make the goal realistic but easier to plan for disaster (like IT bands). If you push a 7:30 for the first half, I think you might really struggle the second half. You have to remember your pace for a full should be about 30 seconds slower per mile. Why would you want to try to run almost 10 seconds faster for the first half than what you just ran in Salt Lake? Remember, there are 13 more miles to go after that!!! If you play the first half smart, you will rock in the second half.

You need to experience the marathon first! That said, you have trained well and you will do REALLY well. Unless you plan on going to Boston next year, do not stress over it!!! There will be many more marathons where you can BQ (and YOU WILL).

Also, I hate sounding like a mother here, but I meant to talk to you today (I was too tired to think). I am worried about your downhill running on the treadmill. The downhill (and speed associated with it)is what kills the IT band (according to the doctor and my own experience!!) I do not want you to get hurt and I was wondering if you had thought about the fact that the decline on the treadmill might be unnecessarily hurting your IT band? Just a thought. You are fast already, take it easy until you get this race out of the way. You do not want to "be like Mike" and end up having to walk and swing your water bottle around, right?

Okay, enough thoughts from me today. I do sound like a mother, but I am older than you so i am allowed!

Oh, and I forgot to tell you that I had a dream last night that my IT band went cookoo during the marathon and you decided to be nice and run with me until the last .2 of the marathon, then you raced in. And your time was 3:36. So, see, you will be fine! I will be the one hobbling!!!!

Kelli- you are amazing, and I always appreciate your 'motherly' advice :) I will call you my running mama :)

With the downhill, I only run 3-4 miles downhill on the TM because I want to condition my IT's for the downhill pace. I guess in my mind I'm thinking the more I do it the less it will bother me, of course I'm doing it in little bits not long bites...I guess that was my thinking with the downhill.

About the marathon...I'm definatley NOT planning on doing a 7:30 the first 1/2 I was just saying that I could EASILY fly downhill that fast for the 1st 1/2 if I DIDN'T control myself. So, I think trying to pull back to an 8:40-8:50 might be too much holding back...but I don't know...I have no idea how much the downhill really is. In SLC those first few downhill miles were 7:03-7:10 and I felt GREAT, so I'm afraid of going WAY too fast if I go 'uncontrolled' and 'just for fun', but if I try to control my pace I want to know where to control it to...is that confusing enough? Obviously my mind is getting way too out of control :) Thats why I liked Bec's 'don't let the race run you!' because I really do just need to relax and let it happen...I just want to know HOW to make it happen if I want it to happen right :)

Thanks again Kelli, really...you are my coach/running mama! I admire you and your running SO much that I would take any advice from you :)

I honestly believe a good pace for the dowhills might be just below 8 if you are feeling good. I think it is okay to go with the hills when it feels good, but not too much. Think back to the half: you pushed the pace on the hills (we all did) and it worked, BUT could you have gone 13 more miles? Take that hill at mile 12 and think to having more of that at mile 14-16. You have to be careful how much you push. In Moab I went with the hills at a pace that was about 20 seconds faster than I should have and it killed me later (I HAD TO WALK!!!!) Based on your half marathon, I do think shooting for an 8:05 or so is doable IF YOU FEEL GOOD! But marathons are a tricky beast and you just never know what will happen (I am on number 3 and I am an amateur--they say it takes 5-6 marathons before you really GET IT).

You definitely have the ability to do really well-you are fast, you are well trained and you are smart. I still worry about the decline running right now, it is too close to the marathon to get HURT! You have worked too hard. I do not think you can train your IT band, can you??? I am avoiding hills whenever possible this week and next week. My hip is killing me and I need to save it for the race, I am going to need it. I just think it is an unnecessary risk right now. Maybe I am wrong, but I pushed through my IT band pain, kept running up and down the hills of Herriman and it got so bad I had to quit for a bit and then spent months running slow. That would be AWFUL for you at this stage of the game, you have worked too hard!!!!

My LAST advice, I promise, is to be very conservative (but do go with the hills a little, it is definitely your strength) in the first half. At that point, decide how you are feeling and adjust. Just always remember you need to have A LOT left for those last 6 miles. I do not believe in trying to "bank" time at the beginning for later in the race, i lean more to the stay right on pace for the first half, adjust to a faster pace if you can, if not stick with it and you will have your time. That way, you either get your time or faster---WIN WIN!!!

RAMBLE RAMBLE RAMBLE, I really am just trying to help. A marathon is a BEAST and you can not underestimate it!! I am not an expert, I am not even sure what my own plan is. I am for sure undertrained, I am struggling with being very tired and dizzy, and this may just not be my race. I will not know until I start running it!

Oh, and Scott has the day off tomorrow so I am going to stay home and run with him! Why get up at 4:30 am when I can sleep until 6 and still have someone to run with (he promises to be SLOW). So, yet another day away for me. Depending on what they do next week, I may come. But next week will be EASY---like no risers in my step for aerobics and no kickboxing at all and no running fast and no hills---up or down! I need my legs for later!!!

Have a swell night from your rambling friend.

Kelli, you can ramble to me anytime!! :)

Okay, I'm glad you've set some of this out for me...I'm just really killing myself mentally. My body will be ready, but my mind will still be contemplating what to do until mile 26!!

Here's the plan - temporarily final :)

I am going to try and hit the downs NO FASTER than 8:10, then keep the AP until 13 around 8:20-8:30. After that I'm going to just run - even if that means turning off the Garmin, and enjoy myself. If I start at that pace I should be okay time wise for any goal. Oh, I did just figure out that in order to BQ I actually only need to do a 3:45:59, not 3:40:59 - because when I run Boston I will be 30 and your qualifying time depends on what age you are when you run Boston, not the qualifying race so....that actually makes me feel like I have some breathing room :) okay, not really, but an 8:30 seems more doable to me than an 8:20...I know its not that big of a difference, but a lot of my runs AP around 8:30 (not long ones, but shorter). Anyway...now I'm the one rambling.

Have fun tomorrow with Scott, we will miss you AGAIN!! But I totally understand the sleeping thing, it was SO nice to sleep until 8 today...I wanted to stay in bed until 10 :)

See you at Yoga!!

Hey, Rachel, I think that BQ time is for a 35 year old. Sorry to disappoint, but you are not yet old enough to get 5 more minutes (I only know because that was me last year!!!) So, 3:40:59 for 5 more years hon!!! I have to make my old age good somehow you young thing.

I think that sounds like a very conservative plan indeed. You need an average pace of 8:27, so that should work! Allow for a potty break (you never know) and some slowing down for gu, water, and gatorade, jelly beans, stretching, whatever you need! You are going to do great!! And running garminless is a true joy---I did it for half of St George and ALL of TOU. It takes all of the pressure off, but it takes guts! I am still trying to talk myself into it.

Well, I'm sure they will have those gun time clocks at each mile glaring me in the face DARING me to try and use my brain while I run to figure out what my pace is and how fast I have to run to keep my goal time if I don't have my Garmin anyway...so, might as well have it :)

DANG!!! You're right..it is until 34, man I wish I was old! hehehe, I gotta get something on you!

RAD,

I am going to agree with Kelli. I have ran too many marathons fast at the beginning and bonked by mile 20. Pace it, pace it, pace it!

I have learned that I run my best when I run the first 13 miles with my head. In that I mean completely focused on not letting my body go and holding back. Miles 13-20 with your body. This is when things just start juicing up, you get warm and you are using effort. Mile 20-26 with your heart. Those last few miles can be a real challenge. Sometimes it's how you feel that will get you to the finish line.

Last but not least, you have to TRUST yourself. If you get the to the start and you want to BQ, trust yourself and go for it! It took me ten times to qualify for Boston. A lot of the races I did I was in minutes of a BQ. I had to teach myself how to RELAX and run the darn marathon.